Every March it seems like every news outlet, both national and local, runs frontline coverage of the self-proclaimed “pothole pandemic.” This puts departments of transportation, road commissions and local public works departments in the limelight as fresh attention is drawn … Continue reading →
Technology creeps into every aspect of our personal lives — inside cars, appliances, furniture and plumbing fixtures — it’s not just laptops and phones anymore! Transitioning to the municipal office, the same would be true. The use of technology, or … Continue reading →
Municipal budgets don’t always get a lot of positive press or public recognition. Still, when they do, it’s often a reason for celebration. That’s the case for Farmington Hills, Mich., which was honored with the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished … Continue reading →
Across the nation, municipal fleet managers struggle with the challenge of making their fleets sustainable while balancing priorities: namely, not breaking budgets, finding solutions that are available today, meeting demanding equipment and operating specifications, while avoiding deep investments in all-new … Continue reading →
The city of Portage, Wis., lies between two rivers — the Fox River, which empties into Green Bay and then Lake Michigan, and the Wisconsin River, which empties into the Mississippi River and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico. Portage … Continue reading →
The city of Ann Arbor, Mich., wants its residents to know the importance of stormwater. “People don’t normally think about stormwater until it floods their house, and we are trying to keep it prevalent in their mind,” said Robert Kelly, … Continue reading →
Finding qualified employees for any job can be difficult, and public works is no exception. With this in mind, Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Mich., has teamed up with municipalities and other entities in the surrounding area … Continue reading →
During a job interview 21 years ago, then job applicant Stephen J. Lawrence was asked a typical interview question: Where did he see himself in five years? His answer: As director of Animal Services and Enforcement, overseeing an upgraded facility … Continue reading →
Keeping a city alive and well when the economy makes a major shift requires generous touches of both creativity and courage. So, when Bay City, Mich., began the shift from an industrial economy to a tourism-based economy, city officials … Continue reading →
Livability.com highlighted how much the world has changed in its 2020 Top 100 Best Places to Live America, particularly focusing on the large number of remote jobs now available. As jobs offer more freedom location-wise, the website poses the question, … Continue reading →
Beware the Ides of March. Shakespeare’s warning in his play “Julius Caesar” proved true in March 2020 for an entire nation when the acceleration of coronavirus infections forced the United States to shut down its economy in the face of … Continue reading →
